Tuesday, October 07, 2003

And it appears this event took place across the river from the 1st Brigade area, inside the 2d Brigade, 1AD area.

A projectile was fired Tuesday at the offices of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, causing a large explosion but no casualties, witnesses said. Iraqi guards fired rifles in the air shortly after the midmorning blast.

Five U.S. Army Humvees and two armored personnel carriers sped to the scene in western Baghdad, and several streets in the area were sealed off. The U.S. military press office said it was aware of "a situation" at the Foreign Ministry but had no details

Witness Hussein Amin said the projectile -- either a rocket-propelled grenade or a mortar -- apparently exploded in the ministry compound, causing minimal damage but sending employees streaming out of the offices, located about a half mile from the palace headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition.

The ministry is also about a half mile from the Al-Rasheed Hotel, where many U.S. officials live. The hotel was attacked by small rockets or rocket-propelled grenades on Sept. 27, causing no casualties and minimal damage.